Editorial

Citation

Tedd, L.A. (2006), "Editorial", Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 40 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/prog.2006.28040aaa.001

Editorial

Keen readers of Program: electronic library and information systems will be aware that Editorials only appear in special issues. This is a break with tradition as this Editorial is written to introduce not so much a special issue as a special volume of the journal, as Program is 40 years old in 2006. This issue starts with a “facsimile” of the very first issue of Program – published with the subheading News of computers in British university libraries. A history of the journal and an analysis of the content published over the 40 years is provided in the first paper “proper” in this issue. The rest of this issue then continues in the “normal” format with refereed papers and reviews. Subsequent issues in this volume will include a few further reprints of key papers with a commentary of related developments provided by selected authors as well as the normal papers and reviews. At the end of 2006 Emerald plans to “bring together” all the “40 years” material from these four issues into one publication, Celebrating 40 Years of ICT in Libraries, Museums and Archives.

During 2005 I was involved with two other celebrations of events that happened 40 years ago. The first was the establishment of the College of Librarianship Wales in Aberystwyth, which has now evolved into the Department of Information Studies at the University of Wales Aberystwyth, and is where I lecture. The second was an event held to mark the founding of an undergraduate course in computer science at the University of Manchester, which I studied in the late 1960s and where, in 1948, Williams and Kilburn had designed the first computer capable of running a program (see www.computer50.org/). The developments in ICT since those early days have been truly amazing. In researching issues of Program it is clear that this journal has recorded the development of the application of ICT in libraries, information services and more recently in museums and archives through its papers, short communications, reviews and news items. Recently I have been asked to write a chapter on library management systems for a publication, British Librarianship and Information Work 1991-2000, and I know that a key prime source for my research will be Volumes 25-34 of Program, as it will provide a reliable record of developments.

Program was, I believe, the first journal to cover the emerging area of computer applications in libraries. The Journal of Library Automation in the US, which is now Information Technology and Libraries, published its first issue in 1968 and VINE (originally standing for Very Informal Newsletter) started in 1971. Although initially Program concentrated on the use of computers in British university libraries, it soon developed an international reputation and published material from all over the world.

As I state in the paper providing an overview of Program:

… the success of such a venture is due to the energy, professionalism and enthusiasm of the people involved in the early days as board members and their successors, the dedication of the chairmen of the Editorial Board, the hard work of the editors, as well as to the large number of authors worldwide who submit their papers to us for possible publication and our professional colleagues who agree to referee papers as well as to review books.

Let us hope that Program continues to record developments in this area over the next 40 years.

Lucy A. Tedd